


late night devil

by CJAcrologic



Series: your hand in mine [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood, Description of Assault, First Time, Fluff and Mush, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Mind Meld, Praise Kink, Sequel, Telepathic Bond, Telepathy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vampires, Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas is a Panicked Gay, former hunter!lucas, vampire!Jungwoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:02:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26473081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJAcrologic/pseuds/CJAcrologic
Summary: If you asked Jungwoo, meeting Ten was the best thing that ever happened to him. Through Ten, he met one Wong Yukhei. Now, he'll admit, it wasn't ideal to have his True Soul Bond be a former vampire Hunter, but the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and how he pieced together everything while letting people believe it all went over his head... Jungwoo fell for him.'your hand in mine' verse: the story of jungwoo and lucas!
Relationships: Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Series: your hand in mine [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676656
Comments: 3
Kudos: 44





	late night devil

**Author's Note:**

> hello my lovely readers! here's another story in the 'your hand in mine' universe! this one is from jungwoo's perspective and starts just a liiiiiittttttle before 'we lay here' starts. 
> 
> please take the "fluff and mush" and "tooth-rotting fluff" tags seriously, like y'all. i couldn't even get through writing the sex scenes without going "these fucking BABIES!" 
> 
> title comes from 5sos's "teeth," and speaking of, i have a playlist for these two as well!  
> [ _late night devil_](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rWft9g9IDViYztCxSB0LO?si=Qz4i_LofTzO0tOWDcyaGtw)
> 
> EDIT: this story is now going to be marked as complete because, try as i did, i couldn't really think of a way to continue it without it just being a re-hash of the original. i do think it works as a stand-alone though! sorry if you were waiting for more, but it just feel better complete!

He met Ten by literally running into him. Well, that’s how Ten met him anyway. Jungwoo had dreamed about the man. 

Slim, silver hair, devilish smile, unbuttoned shirt. Sweet-smelling blood, if he may add, but Jungwoo wasn’t thirsty right now; he had more important things on his mind. He didn’t ever know why people or things appeared in his dreams at the time (or daydreams, or when he was zoning out. Once it happened while he was having sex and boy, _that_ was a mood-killer) but they were always something important. He was blessed with that gift. 

_“Oh, thank you! Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere? I swear I’ve seen you before,” he said, holding out papers the boy dropped._

_“Hm, I’m not sure, but you do look familiar,” the boy replied, picking up easily on the flirting tone._

_“Maybe just in my dreams then. Hi, I’m Jungwoo,”_

He found him in the coffee shop a few hours later, right where his premonition said the man would be. Struggling with a mountain of papers, he tried to pick up his iced coffee in one hand while balancing them. Were there fabric scraps mixed in as well? Interesting. 

Jungwoo grabbed his own coffee and winced, thinking about what he was about to do. Maybe he shouldn’t dump his iced latte all over the papers, they looked important. 

Jungwoo made his move as Ten headed for a table. He acted like he was backing up from the counter and backed into Ten, knocking the stack of papers to the floor. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, turning around. Success, he didn’t spill either of their coffees. 

“It’s ok! Oh, you don’t have to help, I’ve got it,” he bent down to pick up his fabric scraps and papers. 

“No, I’m so sorry! Here, let me help. Can I buy you something? I’m so sorry!” he handed some of the papers to Ten. 

“Oh, thank you!” Ten took the papers and looked him in the eye for the first time. 

“Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere? I swear I’ve seen you before,” he grinned his blinding grin at the man.

Ten shrugged coyly, “Hm, I’m not sure, but you do look familiar,”

“Maybe just in my dreams then. Hi, I’m Jungwoo,” 

“Jungwoo. Pleasure to meet you, I'm Ten,”

Jungwoo carried the rest of Ten’s papers to a free table with him. “Now I’m serious, let me get you something? These look important,” 

“No, you’re alright, I swear. They’re for a side project! You…” Ten tried to resist more but Jungwoo already had his wallet out, grinning wide. Ten sighed with a smile and finally accepted, “You definitely don’t have to get me a chocolate croissant or anything,” 

Jungwoo winked and headed to the counter. He watched as Ten started to shuffle through the papers and fabric again, sorting them into piles. Plates in hand, Jungwoo returned to the table. 

“Can I ask what all this is?” 

Ten hesitated, seemingly sizing him up, before answering, “I’m a fashion designer. I’m just doing a little project for fun before we get super busy with the holidays,” 

“Whoa, that’s impressive!” Jungwoo exclaimed genuinely, stealing a look at one of the drawings on the top of the stack, “Do you mind if I sit with you? Or I could leave you be, if you want,” 

Ten watched him for another second before smiling softly, “I’d love the company. I’ve been cooped up with my roommate all weekend, it’s nice to have a refreshing new face to look at,” 

Jungwoo got the distinct impression that Ten was a rather guarded person. He didn’t make friends easily. He was friendly enough, but he had a very precise judge of character. Jungwoo wasn’t going to pretend to be someone he wasn’t to get him, that wouldn’t help at all, but he took a second to appreciate his gift for premonitions. The universe liked to nudge him this way and that, and all he could do was make the best of it. It wanted him to get to know Ten? He could definitely do that. 

They chatted for a little bit longer before Jungwoo’s phone started buzzing. 

“Oh, excuse me, it’s my brother,” he got up from the table and stood outside to take the call. 

“What’s up, Yongie?” 

They talked for a moment since Taeyong didn’t like to text (damn old man). Taeyong asked him to pick up a few things on the way home. No problem, he should let Ten get back to his work anyway. 

He stepped back in the coffee shop and picked up his empty plate and latte. “I’m really sorry, but my brother asked me to pick some things up on the way home. I had a great time talking with you though!” 

Ten smiled back, seemingly not expecting to be complimented. “Oh, thank you. Jungwoo, right?” 

“Yessir,” 

“Maybe I’ll see you around, Jungwoo,” 

He winked, “Maybe,” 

It was another two weeks before he saw Ten again. Jungwoo and Taeyong just got out of a movie, enjoying the chill in the evening air, when Ten and another human walked past on the busy sidewalk. 

“Ten?” Taeyong called out. 

Ten whirled and spotted him, surprise clear on his face, “Oh my god, Taeyong! Hi, hun, how _are_ you?” 

They gave each other a hug, screeching in excitement. Jungwoo waved a little hello when he caught Ten’s eye after a moment. 

“Oh my god, you know Jungwoo?” Ten screeched again, rushing forward to hug him as well. 

“Of course I know Jungwoo! You know Jungwoo?” 

“Can we please stop screaming?” the man behind Ten stepped to the side when they started screaming once more. 

“No, Xuxi, you know better, we never stop screaming,” Ten smacked the tall man on the chest, “Yongie, Jungwoo, this is my roommate, Yukhei,” he introduced. 

_Oh. This_ was why the universe nudged him to Ten. This boy, this caramel-haired, toffee-skinned, giant, sunshine of a boy. His heart fluttered and the ground swayed beneath his feet. This boy was his Soul Bond. His _True_ Soul Bond, his soulmate. 

They met eyes and Yukhei’s flashed with something, some emotion Jungwoo couldn’t decipher, but he smiled widely soon after, setting butterflies free in his gut. 

“H-hi,” Jungwoo stuttered. He never stuttered! 

“So, did I miss something?” Yukhei asked aloud. 

“Yongie leads the yoga class I’ve been trying to get you to come to,” Ten smacked Yukhei’s chest with the back of his hand again. 

Jungwoo asked Taeyong, “I thought you were subbing for that instructor?” 

“Yeah, she thought she was just sick but since she’s pregnant she’s taking an early maternity leave to be on bedrest, so she’s actually taking a few months off. But I’ve been teaching the class for about three weeks now? Ten’s my star pupil,” he purred. Ten glowed. 

“Hey, uh,” Jungwoo blurted, giving Taeyong a look, “We just got out of a movie and we were going to get food, what, uh, what are you two doing right now?” 

Ten looked at Yukhei’s broad smile then shrugged. “We were just thinking of where to go, actually,” 

“I know a really good burger place down the block,” Yukhei supplied with a lopsided grin and Jungwoo went weak in the knees. His voice was deep and grumbly and he made his stomach do flips, “But Ten was thinking more along the lines of chicken,” 

“Tough choice. I could go for some fried chicken, though,” Taeyong grinned at Ten, “Cheat day?”

“Chicken it is!” Ten announced, smug. Oh, Jungwoo was going to do whatever he could to get Johnny into this too; he would adore the boy. He always went along with whatever Taeyong said, even though he pretended to hate it at times. Adding Ten into their mix would be absolutely insufferable for Johnny, but he would immediately love him as fiercely as he did Taeyong.

The new group of four made their way down the street, laughing at Yukhei’s dumb jokes. 

“So what do you do, Yukhei?” 

Yukhei _beamed_ , just absolutely overjoyed to share his job, “I teach ECFE! The, uh, the half-day preschools? I _love_ it,” 

Jungwoo leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, “Wow, how many kids?” 

“Fourteen in my morning class, eleven in my afternoon,” he said proudly. 

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Jungwoo gushed. He vaguely registered Taeyong and Ten next to them giggling at him, but couldn’t be bothered. This man was the most perfect person he had ever met in his whole life. 

As they waited for their chicken to arrive, they chatted with each other some more about small topics. The conversation didn’t stop when they got their food, however; if anything it got even louder. Jungwoo always considered that the sign of a good meal and good friends. 

“So how old are you two? Who’s the oldest in our group,” Yukhei asked innocently. 

Jungwoo and Taeyong froze, Taeyong with a chicken wing still in his mouth. 

“Uh,” Jungwoo looked back and forth between them, “Let’s just say we’re definitely older than you,” 

Yukhei snorted and tore into the next piece of chicken, “Uh huh, yeah right,” but Ten picked up on it. He was smarter than he looked, or than he let people think, that’s for sure. 

“Hmm,” he hummed, “So guys, if we were to meet up for food again, what do you think about Italian?” 

Yukhei moaned, “Yes, I love Italian,” 

Jungwoo made eye contact with Ten and knew he understood what he was asking. It might have had to do with a loose fang of Taeyong’s sinking into a piece of chicken while he ate. He elbowed Taeyong in the side and answered, “Eh, I’m more of a… Red meat kinda guy,” 

Yukhei nodded enthusiastically, “Ooh, me too actually. That burger place I wanted to go to! Let’s go there next time!” 

Ten shared knowing looks with Jungwoo and Taeyong, smiling softly, but didn’t say anything more. That was a good sign, he supposed. They all then rolled their eyes fondly when Yukhei kept talking about other food he liked, completely missing what transpired. 

They finished their meal and hung around a bit more for drinks. Ten and Jungwoo kept to one or two ciders or beers, but Yukhei and Taeyong downed drink after drink, seemingly having a competition between rounds of darts. 

“He’s a cutie, isn’t he?” Ten asked Jungwoo, both sipping on their drinks lightly. 

“I could ask the same of you,” he replied. 

Ten looked at him for a minute, glass half to his mouth. He raised a small toast instead, “I think we’re going to get along just fine, Jungwoo,” 

“I think so too. Wingmen?” he proposed. 

“Wingmen,” Ten laughed, clinking their glasses together. Taeyong and Yukhei roared in delight in the background, absolutely bro-ing it up when one of them got a bullseye. 

“We’re thinking of going clubbing next week, care to join us?” 

“Where are you thinking?” 

Ten shrugged, “Not sure yet. Probably some place too crowded and too straight, with spilled beers on the ground and stale popcorn on the tables,” 

Jungwoo made a suggestion, “That doesn’t sound like much fun. Have you been to 7th Sense?” 

Ten scoffed, “No, of course we haven’t. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re human,” 

“We could bring you,” he offered casually. 

“We have one more person we’re trying to convince to come with,” 

“Done, so do we. He hasn’t been out in _ages,_ ” 

They smiled at each other. Jungwoo felt like the fox just made friends with the raven: there’s no point tricking a trickster, so they sat in a comfortable peace with each other. 

“It’s a date,” 

“Hey Ten, we’re here!” 

_“Cool, want me to come get you or can I buzz you in?”_ he picked up quickly. Jungwoo was a little impressed that Ten asked if a digital invitation would work, since they were vampires and all. It shows he did his research. 

“Buzz us in, please!” Jungwoo cooed cutely. 

_“On it. Apartment 307. Xuxi! Hit the buzzer, will you?”_ Ten called just before hanging up. 

They let themselves in, thanks to the buzzer being an extension of permission, and headed up the stairs, knocking before opening the door and walking in. 

Jungwoo was absolutely _delighted_ that Yukhei was already dressed in club clothes when he, Taeyong, and Doyoung got to Ten’s apartment. He was gorgeous in a plain button up undone to the third button, showing off that smooth caramel skin, and a purposefully undone bowtie. He spotted a crushed velvet blazer off to the side that seemed like it went with the ensemble, and Jungwoo was _drooling_. 

“We’re here!” Taeyong announced, dragging a begrudging Doyoung along behind him, “This is Doyoung!”

It was a cute little apartment. It reminded Jungwoo of one he had years ago, back before he found Doyoung’s coven. Small and a little rundown, but homey. Definitely well-lived-in. Paradise, if you asked Jungwoo, but hey, he wasn’t going to say no to living in Doyoungie’s mansion with him. 

Ten was in the small kitchen, hardly an alcove with a sink and a counter, making some type of cocktail. Jungwoo could smell it, but didn’t care too much of what was in it, only that it tasted good. Taeyong, meanwhile, would only care if it got him tipsy. 

“Hey guys, come on in!” Ten grinned, dressed if you counted a shirt barely hanging off his shoulders as ‘dressed.’ 

Taeyong, already comfortable with Ten and Yukhei, made himself at home, bopping over to Ten in the kitchen and asking about what he was making. 

Jungwoo shuffled over to Yukhei on the couch and waved. Something about him made Jungwoo feel small and shy, not like himself at all. “Hi, Yukhei,” 

Yukhei swallowed hard and scooted over so he would have room on the couch. “Hi, Jungwoo,” he said, just as shy. 

“How was your day?” he sat down next to him. 

“Oh, good! Good, uh, I’ve just been with Ten all day, he’s really excited to come out — _go_ out! To — to go out. Out clubbing. With you. Us. Yeah,” 

Jungwoo felt himself smile so wide his eyes smiled too, “That sounds fun! Did he help pick your outfit? It looks very nice on you,” he gave himself a pat on the back for not stuttering over that. 

Yukhei was quickly turning red, “Most of it I dicked— picked myself, he just classed it up a little. Who’s this?” he quickly changed the subject after his slip. 

“Oh, this is Doyoung. Doyoung, this is Yukhei,” 

“Hello,” Doyoung greeted softly. 

Yukhei stood and immediately offered his seat. If it weren’t for the Soul Bond, he would think Yukhei didn’t want to sit next to him, but past the butterflies in his own stomach, he felt them just as bad (if not worse) in Yukhei’s. And a tent in his tight pants. He at least had the reassurance of the bond telling him Yukhei needed a breather, not that he didn’t like him. 

He had no idea what the human was thinking, however. He honestly didn’t know if a bond took place on both sides when one was still human. He thought maybe, so he tried something. As Yukhei walked to the kitchen to get a drink, Jungwoo very pointedly stared at his ass, thinking hard. 

Halfway there, Yukhei turned to look back at Jungwoo, blushing furiously. He quickly ran to Ten and downed the first thing handed to him. 

By the time Jaehyun arrived, Yukhei was back on the couch. Jungwoo couldn’t help but think Jaehyun looked like Tom Hardy in _Venom_ , that scene where he climbs in the lobster tank, but listen. He’d been there, he gets it. 

It soon became a favorite game of his to make Yukhei blush as much as he could. When he went to go talk to his friend, Jungwoo gave him a minute then followed, cheesy flirts armed and ready to go. 

He leaned against the opposite side of the counter and grinned, “Yukhei, you didn’t mention that your friend was almost as cute as you,” 

He once again felt that burn in his stomach (and strain in his pants). Yukhei laughed loudly, a fake, nervous laugh. “You’re funny, Jungwoo! Jaehyun is a very handsome man — I mean, he’s quite the ladies’ guy, er, he’s —” he cut himself off, flubbing and scrambling for words. 

Jaehyun laughed into his bottle. When Yukhei wasn’t looking, Jaehyun gave Jungwoo an encouraging look that meant ‘keep going,’ or maybe ‘my friend likes you.’ So he continued. 

“Oh, I’m not sure. Wouldn’t you draw people away from him?” he leaned across the counter and rested his chin in his palms, looking up at Yukhei through his lashes. 

“Ignore him, he’s always like this,” Taeyong laughed, trying to interrupt this very important ritual taking place. 

“Xuxi, have you seen my grey shirt?” Ten called from his bedroom. 

“No, Tennie,” Yukhei answered, not even breaking eye contact with Jungwoo. He gave him another sideways grin and Jungwoo’s heart melted. 

Jaehyun stepped back to talk with Taeyong and Jungwoo straightened up. 

“I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I? I’ll stop if I am!” he sincerely meant it. Just because he could feel what Yukhei felt, that didn’t mean he knew the reasoning behind it. He might have butterflies that feel the same as Jungwoo’s, but they could be for a very different reason; there was no way to tell unless he asked. 

“No! You’re good, great, I just,” he took a breath and thought through his words, “I’m sorry, but I think you’re really…” 

“Cute?” he pulled some aegyo, making Yukhei laugh. 

“Yeah, that too. I, uh, I think you’re att— attractive,” he swallowed hard, “And I’m. Um. Not gay. I mean, I like girls and men sometimes too! But like, I haven’t liked a guy. And I, erm, Ten says I’m ‘bye,’ and I know he doesn’t tell me to leave,” 

Oh my god he was a baby gay. This was honestly the cutest shit ever and Jungwoo would go to _the ends of the fucking earth_ for this man. “Hey, no, it’s ok! No, don’t worry about that, everyone starts somewhere, right? Here,” he grabbed two beers from the counter and nodded to the couch, “I’m serious, I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, but I think you’re cute too,” 

Yukhei let out a nervous laugh, following him to the couch anyway. “I’ve never had anything start where we both say we like each other,” 

“Really? Not even in high school?” Jungwoo crossed one leg over the other and leaned back against the arm of the couch. Yukhei sat in front of him, feet on the floor, knees together, hands and beer in his lap. Jungwoo was _fascinated_ by how easily they traded back and forth their confidence. 

“No, but girls, y’know?” he shrugged. 

“Yeah,” Jungwoo agreed although honestly he didn’t really know. He’d been gay for _ever_ , so he had no idea what flirting with girls was like. He also never went to high school and had only ever seen movies. 

“So, uh,” Yukhei was trying really hard and Jungwoo _appreciated it_. He knew he set the tone by asking and was immediately relieved that Yukhei followed suit, being honest and upfront from the start. “I haven’t, uh. Been with a guy. But, I think? I think I would be ok trying?” 

Oh my god this precious child had his entire heart. He leaned forward and held out his hand for Yukhei to grab if he wanted to. He did and Jungwoo’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s ok if you don’t want to, I’m not gonna push you into anything. But if you want…” 

He trailed off, building a little bit of anticipation. Yukhei took his hand gently and leaned forward as he waited. 

Jungwoo smiled, “We could take things slow? We could try an ice cream date next week, if you like,” 

Yukhei’s face split into that wide smile again that made Jungwoo feel like everything was ok. “I, yeah. Yeah, let’s try slow. Next week,” 

“Let me know if I go too far, I’m serious,” he scooted closer to Yukhei, feeling warm and bubbly, “So you teach preschool?” 

This was something Yukhei was comfortable with. “Yeah! Oh, you would not _believe_ the shit my kids got up to today! So, Emma, I love her to death, but she does this thing where…” 

After some more drinking, more chatting among the new group of friends, they all started to get a feel for how the night was going to go. This was a fun group, certainly no lack of flirting, and Jungwoo felt the three humans would fit right in. At some point, Yukhei got up to get more drinks, then meandered back to the couch. He looked like he had something on his mind, a cocky smile smacked on his face. 

“So I’ve been meaning to ask,” he announced as he sat down, “Is there a difference between feeding from the wrist versus the crook of the elbow? I know the neck is an intimate area, but are there boundaries other than that?” 

Jungwoo stared at him, jaw on the floor. “What?” Was he asking about vampire _feeding habits_? No way, he didn’t know, he must be talking about something else. 

He asked again, completely blasé, “Yeah, if you feed from like where doctors draw blood versus the wrist, do those indicate different levels of formality?” 

Jungwoo spluttered, “I, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” 

Yukhei shot him a grin, “What, you think I don’t know? You don’t completely blend in. For most people? Oh yeah, you’re doing awesome. But you still have your tells,” 

Jungwoo spluttered, “How did you know? We thought you completely missed it at dinner,” 

“Oh I know you did, but I already knew by then,” he was being playful and once Jungwoo got over the shock he could see that. 

“What did it then?” 

It was Yukhei’s turn to relax into the couch, being the confident one for once. “You’re too still. Not just that you don’t breathe, because _you_ do. Taeyong doesn’t do a very good job of remembering to breathe automatically. But you don’t have any twitches. No shaking, nothing. When you’re not moving, you’re marble. You’re better than a lot of others so it took me a minute, but I saw,” 

He didn’t even know he did that. Jungwoo had been under the impression that he had mastered the art of blending in, that he was virtually undetectable to the human eye. He even made it a habit to keep breathing, after all these years, though he didn’t need to. 

“You have a very keen eye,” he remarked. 

Yukhei took another drink and shrugged, “I was raised a Hunter,” 

He said it so casually. A _Hunter_? 

A shiver ran down Jungwoo’s spine. He had to tell Doyoung and Taeyong, they had to get out of here. The occupation was outlawed nearly fifty years ago, once vampires started to take a more public eye, but Jungwoo had dealt with his fair share of the beasts. Fifty years was nothing to him. 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Yukhei continued just as casually, “My parents are racist shits and wanted us to ‘be protected,’ but stopped pushing us into the field once they realized we were ‘bloodsucker sympathizers.’ They actually used some worse terms than that, but I don’t like saying ‘em,” 

“So you don’t…” 

“Pfft, nah. Again, I know everything there is to know, but I also know that like, you’re people? I’m not a murderer, I could never kill anyone,” he shrugged, “And besides, I need to have good morals to teach my kids. They can’t go into the world thinking someone’s evil with no reason, just because of what they are,” 

Jungwoo relaxed bit by bit. It seems they both had their secrets. However, this also meant that he understood a lot more than Jungwoo had given him credit for. Maybe he did know what the Soul Bond is…?

“So? Is there a difference?” 

Jungwoo laughed. Of course he would still be looking for an answer after revealing something so big. “Well, the wrist is for either casual or impersonal-slash-professional feeding, or if you want someone to go really slowly. The crook of the elbow is for a faster time, but since it requires you to hold their arm to you, it is a bit more personal,” 

“Personal like friends or personal like boyfriends?” 

“Personal like friends. Our coven has some Donors - humans that we hire to feed us once a week or so. One or two of them offer their elbows now since they’ve gotten comfortable with us, but the others just stick with the wrist for now. I think it’s also a bit of a control thing,” 

“That’s understandable,” Yukhei nodded, “What’s your favorite blood type?” 

“Mine?” he startled, “Why?” 

Yukhei got up and grabbed Jungwoo’s empty drink, clearly heading back to the kitchen, “I’m O,” 

Jungwoo blushed. 

They got to the club and by now, Yukhei happily took Jungwoo’s arm in his own. He even let Jungwoo talk him into swiping some shimmer on his eyes. The boy easily closed his eyes and tilted his head up, letting Jungwoo place one hand just under his chin and the other resting lightly on his cheek, blending a champagne shadow on his delicate eyelids. Yukhei promptly announced he liked it and went to show Ten and Jaehyun, leaving Jungwoo with a… situation in his pants. 

Now that they were at the club, Ten immediately began assigning roles and which human was with which vampire, as if it wasn’t clear already. “Taeyongie, you’re with me. Doyoung, take Jaehyun. Jungwoo…” they shared a look and Ten said no more, “You’re all set. This is just to get us in, don’t worry, I’m not making you all go home with each other tonight, although, I wouldn’t mind,” 

“Are you excited?” he asked Yukhei as they waited in line, blatantly ignoring whatever else Ten said to Taeyong. 

“Yeah,” Yukhei grinned, “Going out with Ten is always fun. I’m always a fan of dancing, too,” 

“Good!” he squeezed his arm and joked, “I’ll keep anyone off you tonight, so you don’t even have to worry about becoming someone’s snack,”

“I think I can handle myself,” he smirked. 

They made their way up front, watching Taeyong and Ten go first. 

“What’s that?” Jaehyun asked softly when Taeyong handed over his blood card. 

Jungwoo half turned and answered, “It’s a blood card. Like a weed card, but for us. We can get bagged blood from donation centers and butchers way easier than if we didn’t,” 

Because he knew Yukhei was watching and because they had fallen into this easy game of cat and mouse, he winked at Jaehyun and flicked out his fangs, licking the tip of one delicately. He also knew Doyoung was watching and Doyoung had his own heart set on this human, so a little bit of flirting certainly didn’t hurt. 

Yukhei and Jungwoo were up next, entering with ease, and they made their way into the club. He let Yukhei take a look around, soaking in the environment, before gently leading the way to where Ten and Taeyong stood. 

Jaehyun and Doyoung appeared a moment later and Ten began a well-rehearsed speech. “Boys. This club has two floors, bathrooms are off to the right and up the stairs around the corner and to the left. My plan is to go home with someone, so I hope none of you left anything at mine. Yukhei, you’re tallest, if someone —” 

“Johnny!” Taeyong interrupted, waving to his sire and mate across the floor. 

Johnny had been lurking, to say the least, but at least he came out this time when he was invited. Jungwoo had certainly played a part in that, innocently talking about how good Taeyong’s ass looked in these shiny vinyl pants out loud in the living room, and had maybe let slip that there was someone who had caught Taeyong’s eye. Johnny normally stayed cooped up inside when they went clubbing, but it looked like Jungwoo’s hype had made an effect. 

“This is my sire, Johnny,” Taeyong introduced before leaning into Johnny’s side for the drama. He certainly knew how to play them both and Jungwoo felt like a proud mama. 

“Love, this is Yukhei, Jaehyun, and _Ten_ ,” Taeyong continued, emphasizing Ten’s name. 

Jaehyun and Yukhei laughed quietly, sharing a look, before Yukhei leaned over to whisper the joke to Jungwoo. Knowing vampire hearing, Yukhei said it just loud enough that Jungwoo could hear it over the din of the club, but not so loud that Johnny or Taeyong heard. 

“Jae and I have a running bet of whose place they’re going to end up at. I say I’m gonna be sexiled, he says they’re going to theirs. Loser buys a round,” 

Jungwoo laughed and leaned into Yukhei’s side, hand on his chest. “I’m in,” he whispered back, “I vote they’ll go to yours,” 

“Why? You think I’m gonna end up going with you?” 

“Maybe,” 

Yukhei blurted out another excited but nervous laugh and slung an arm around Jungwoo’s waist, pulling him close. 

Johnny glanced around. A few vampires in the crowd started to recognize them and started staring. It wasn’t _bad_ that they were out, per se, but it was unusual to see Borne Vampyres choosing to be with humans. Or so people thought. There was a reputation that Borne Vampyres weren’t a fan of humans, but that was really just old racist tendencies clinging to vampire gossip. Jungwoo wanted to roll his eyes out of his head whenever he heard about it. 

After seeing some of the younger vampires start to stare, Johnny smirked and played along, “Doyoung, I’m surprised you’re here with us and our… present company,” 

“Youngho, finally decided to come out and join the land of the living?” Doyoung snapped back. They always played this game, pretending they hated each other, whenever they were in public. They had those reputations to uphold as Elders and as Borne Vampyres, after all, and although coven records were public, no one ever looked into them, so it was still fairly quiet that they co-led a coven together. It wasn’t unallowed, exactly, but it was unusual. Borne Vampyres were known to be very proud and independent, after all. Again, Jungwoo wanted to either puke or roll his eyes out of his head. 

Jungwoo interrupted, “Oh, for once can we have fun without you two getting into it? We get it, you’re Boomers, you’re old. Let’s just dance, ok?” He shot a glance at the two of them. They both knew he hated politics and especially hated it getting in the way of their fun nights out. Why did they have to have this mysterious aura? Why couldn’t they just have fun?

He dragged Yukhei into the crowd, looking for a place where he could feel the bass thrum in his chest and Yukhei’s hand on his hip. 

Yukhei did not disappoint. 

They had just gotten started when Jungwoo felt a vision coming on. He stopped grinding on Yukhei for the moment and held onto his shoulder, unsteady as images flooded his mind. 

_Dark. Bite. Pain. Venom. Scream. Oh, he knew that pain. He had been through it once before and through his Sire Bond, he felt some of the fire burn as he turned his own Children._

_Blocked off, a wall?_

_Blood. Blood, blood, blood. Human. … Vampire?_

_Crunch of bone and arterial spray._

_Doyoung looks angry… And scared._

“Jungwoo, you alright?” Yukhei led them off the dance floor and sat him at a table against the wall. 

“No,” he answered honestly, “I need to talk to Doyoung,” 

Yukhei followed him like a puppy as Jungwoo scoured the club for Doyoung. Thankfully, he hadn’t gone very far from where they had gathered, having just wrapped up his conversation with Johnny. Jungwoo saw Johnny wander over to where Ten and Taeyong were against the bar. He would have laughed if he weren’t so nervous. 

“Doyoung,” he panted. 

Doyoung was immediately on alert. “Jungwoo? What’s wrong?” 

“A vision,” 

Yukhei came up behind him and wrapped a large arm around his waist, supporting most of his weight. “Is that his power?” he asked Doyoung. 

Doyoung looked back and forth between Yukhei and Jungwoo for a second before deciding asking Yukhei how he knew that wasn’t the important thing here. “What happened?” 

Jungwoo let Yukhei and Doyoung guide him to a clear table off to the side. “Blood. A lot,” he swallowed hard, “Someone gets attacked tonight,” 

“Could you see who?” 

“No, but I saw you after. You were furious,” he left out the part where Doyoung looked scared out of his mind. 

Doyoung didn’t say anything for a long time. Yukhei got up and brought Jungwoo a glass of water then rubbed his back as he took deep breaths, calming down from the anxiety of the vision. 

“I’m going to find Johnny and Taeyong, tell them not to take their eyes off of Ten tonight. We can’t leave, can we?” he asked somberly. 

Jungwoo shook his head. “If we change things based on what I saw, I have no idea what might happen instead. We can at least prepare this way,” 

They sat in silence for a second. Doyoung turned to Yukhei and ordered, “You are not to leave Jungwoo’s side until we’re all home safe. Got it?” 

“Don’t have to tell me twice, boss,” Yukhei assured. Jungwoo gave him a half smile, knowing he hadn’t planned on leaving Jungwoo’s side anyway. “You better go find your man yourself,” Yukhei nodded toward the bar, “Someone’s getting a little friendly,” 

There at the bar, Jaehyun sat alone. Well, not alone, but Taeyong and Ten who had been there a moment ago were nowhere to be found. A woman was obviously flirting with him, not getting the clue that he wasn’t interested, and Jungwoo watched as Jaehyun slowly got roped into talking with her. Doyoung muttered an “excuse me” and immediately stood to interrupt. 

“Knight in shining armor,” Yukhei laughed. “Are you doing better?” 

“Yeah, we’re getting there. Give me another minute then we can go back to dancing?” 

“Take your time, I’m not going anywhere,” Yukhei reclined in the booth seat and draped an arm up and over Jungwoo’s shoulders like a wing. Gratuitously, Jungwoo leaned back to appreciate how warm the human was. 

“Stay close to me tonight?” Jungwoo murmured. He still didn’t know if Yukhei knew they were Bonded, but he needed to keep him safe. 

“Jungwoo, I would have stayed close to you even if you didn’t have your vision,” he answered, gently rubbing circles on Jungwoo’s shoulder with his thumb. 

“Oh really?” he smirked, feeling more himself. Yukhei realized Jungwoo was pulling some gay shit and loudly nervous-laughed once again, smacking Jungwoo’s thigh. Jungwoo laughed too then pulled Yukhei to his feet. “Shall we get back to dancing?” 

Yukhei followed diligently. 

There was something in the way that Yukhei trailed his lips down Jungwoo’s neck that gave him the chills. Yukhei was human. He didn’t have fangs, he didn’t drink blood, his teeth probably wouldn’t even be able to break a vampire’s skin. Nonetheless, Jungwoo shivered. Was this what Yukhei would feel when Jungwoo eventually fed from him? The feeling of possession, desire, _need?_

Thinking about drinking from Yukhei got Jungwoo riled up, so he grabbed Yukhei’s hips and spun him around so his ass was grinding into Jungwoo now. He slid his hands up and down Yukhei’s chest, teasing around a nipple once or twice but just rarely enough that he would be able to deny it. Though Yukhei was taller, he moaned and tipped his head back against Jungwoo’s shoulder, exposing his neck. 

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Jungwoo murmured into his ear, “You’re all but inviting me,” 

Yukhei whimpered but said nothing, eyes still closed and hips still moving to the beat of the song. 

“You know the effects of venom, don’t you, little hunter?” Jungwoo moved one hand to palm over Yukhei’s crotch. He just nodded, still whimpering softly. “Of course you do, smart boy. You’d let me, wouldn’t you?” 

Yukhei’s hips stuttered and his spine stiffened. He had some concerns and maybe pushed a line a little bit. “Maybe after a few dates,” he lifted his head up but kept dancing against Jungwoo. 

“Whatever you want, it’s completely up to you,” he replied earnestly. Yukhei melted again, happy with that response. 

Jungwoo froze. Anxiety crawled up his back like a finger with a long nail scraping up his spine. 

“Jungwoo?” Yukhei pulled himself from his grasp and turned to look at him. “Jungwoo, what’s wrong?” 

“Where is everyone? Our friends,” 

Yukhei immediately pulled him out of the middle of the dance floor and they started looking for everyone they came with. “You’re a part of their coven, can’t you feel them?” 

“No, we’re not blood related. Look, there’s Doyoung,” 

Just as Jungwoo said, Doyoung came down the stairs, looking just a little lost. He spotted them and rushed over. 

“Have either of you seen Jaehyun?” 

“No? Why?” 

“He went to the bathroom a while ago and I can’t feel him,” 

Yukhei frowned, “Feel him? He’s not a vampire,” 

Doyoung only got more anxious the longer he couldn’t see Jaehyun, “He’s my Soul Bond, I can feel him even though he hasn’t been turned. Well, not right now apparently,” 

“Where’s Johnny’s boys?” Jungwoo asked. 

“Upstairs,” Doyoung answered distantly. 

Jungwoo grabbed Doyoung’s arm, “Here, you take Yukhei and find them, bring everyone down here. I’ll search around here, maybe he’s just in the bathroom. Yukhei, stay with one of us,” 

Thankfully Yukhei was fully aware of the weight of the situation. “On it,” he nodded and began dragging Doyoung back up the stairs. 

Jungwoo had a terrible feeling deep in his stomach with nothing to back it up. Jaehyun was probably just in the bathroom! Doyoung got anxious sometimes, especially about people he grew attached to. Maybe he’s just overthinking things. Remember that one time Yuta’s visa expired while they were in South Korea so he decided to swim to Japan? Damn idiot...

Jungwoo stalked over to the far side of the bar, scanning the crowd for that pastel pink hair. He tapped into a little bit of that primal side he kept tucked away and sniffed for anyone who smelled like Jaehyun or even Doyoung, but to no avail. 

He dashed to the other side of the floor and weaved in and around the dance floor. Did he get swept up with someone else? No, it didn't look like it. 

Maybe he really was just in the bathroom. Worth a look, right? 

He couldn’t hear a damn thing inside the bathroom. No ambient sounds of water running, no shuffling of clothes (no one peeing, though he didn’t want to think about that one). Not even anyone’s heartbeat, and he could hear every human in the club. He didn’t like to be in that hunter mode often, but it had its advantages. 

(Yukhei was upstairs, heart pounding just a bit, but he was doing his best to stay calm.) 

Jungwoo pushed the door open. 

(Yukhei found Ten. Ten’s heart rate kicked up like a drumroll.)

The bathroom was pitch black. So dark _he_ couldn’t even see through it. The air was still. He couldn’t breathe. 

He reached out blindly for the lightswitch. 

There, in the middle of the floor, lay Jaehyun. _Someone_ sat at his back, fangs sunk into his shoulder. Blood poured from Jaehyun’s neck as well as cuts along his arms and back. He was still awake. 

The sharp metallic smell of blood flooded Jungwoo’s nostrils. 

He screamed. 

All at once, the club fell silent save for the slurping of this monster on Jaehyun’s lifeblood. 

The monster pulled off and grinned at Jungwoo. Instead of the two neat fangs he had seen on every other vampire, this _thing_ had his entire front of his mouth elongated into fangs like an anglerfish. His eyes reflected the lights, red and hollow and clouded. 

Doyoung appeared next to him. He took a half a second to view the scene, then roared. Doyoung’s fangs grew well past his mouth in the way only a Borne Vampyre’s could, becoming formidable weapons, able to slice and tear and drain. Jungwoo was vaguely aware of others appearing next to him but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Doyoung. 

He leaped at Jaehyun’s attacker and ripped him from Jaehyun. The monster snarled as Doyoung slammed him into the ground. Harsh claws like a tigers’ tore at Doyoung’s neck and chest but did little more than leave a small red scratch. Jungwoo saw what it did to Jaehyun’s sides. 

They wrestled for a moment before Doyoung got one hand on its shoulder and the other under its jaw. He pried them apart. 

With the sickening sounds of tearing skin and crunching bone, the monster’s head flew off of its body mid-snarl and hit the back wall of the bathroom. Blood sprayed from its body, drenching Doyoung. 

The others next to Jungwoo made themselves known. 

“Jaehyun?” a weak voice asked next to him. 

Ten was at his side, holding onto his arm for dear life. Doyoung looked up from the monster’s body and made eye contact for a second before Ten fell to his knees next to Jaehyun’s body. 

Yukhei was there in a heartbeat too, hands on Jaehyun’s neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. 

“Jaehyun, Jaehyun! Listen to me!” Ten shouted, brushing the hair from his face. 

Jungwoo snapped into action and turned to keep people out of the bathroom, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Johnny and Taeyong doing just that. He instead rushed to Doyoung’s side. 

“I have to turn him,” Doyoung announced. 

“What? No, we can bring him to a hospital,” Jungwoo argued. You _can’t_ make that decision for someone! 

“There’s no time!” 

“I have to! There’s nothing else we can do!” 

Jungwoo watched as Jaehyun visibly faded in and out of consciousness. 

“I can feel him dying, Jungwoo. I _have_ to. We’re _bonded_. Me, and Yuta, and Mark are all in danger,” Doyoung begged. Jungwoo could tell the rest of their bonds were an afterthought, something Doyoung used to make the argument more in his favor, but it was an important point. 

He took a deep breath and nodded. “Ok, but not here. We can be back home in seconds,” 

Doyoung nodded and began to gather Jaehyun into his arms. “Hold on,” he whispered to his soulmate. 

——— 

“You’re covered in blood,” Yukhei gently pushed Jungwoo’s blazer off his shoulders. 

Jungwoo didn’t know what to say in response. He held onto Yukhei’s arms lightly, afraid to hurt him. Afraid to press his fingers into the human’s rice paper thin skin and leave horrible claw marks like he saw on Jaehyun. 

Jungwoo let Yukhei clean him up. 

They got home from 7th Sense in a matter of seconds: Doyoung carried Jaehyun and ran with Johnny hot on his heels while Taeyong and Jungwoo swept their humans into their arms and followed soon after. 

Doyoung had to turn his Bonded. There was no other alternative, of course, other than letting the entire coven die. But unfortunately, Jungwoo knew firsthand the trauma that comes with being turned without consent. 

Though Yukhei couldn’t hear Jaehyun screaming anymore, locked away in Jungwoo’s soundproof room, Jungwoo could. No soundproofing was perfect, not for a vampire after all. 

Yukhei gently cupped Jungwoo’s face in his hands. “Hey. Look at me?” 

He looked up slowly to see his Bonded’s concerned face. 

“Everything’s gonna be ok. Do you trust Doyoung?” 

“With my life,” Jungwoo answered immediately. 

Yukhei cracked a grin, “Good, because I know Jaehyun and he won’t go down without a fight. Now, I know you can still hear him, can’t you?” 

Jungwoo nodded slowly. Yukhei tucked him into his chest, letting him hear his heartbeat. 

“Tennie and I share an apartment. Let’s go, before the sun’s up,” 

They tried to go find Ten as quickly as possible without sounding like they were running. God knows how bad that would sound with a house full of vampires on edge, the stench of blood heavy in the air. 

They found Ten curled up into Taeyong on a couch, sobbing. 

“Tennie,” Yukhei cooed, crouching to be at his eye level, “C’mon, he’s gonna be ok,” 

Jungwoo wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think the humans could hear the screaming from here. After a particularly bad wince from them both, however, he reevaluated. 

“We can’t leave him,” Ten shook, taking a deep breath. 

“And we’re not, love,” Taeyong combed through his hair, “It sounds scary, but I _promise_ , Jaehyun’s going to live. He’s got Johnny and Doyoung. It’s a lot, but this also isn’t their first time turning someone. Jaehyun’s going to be just fine in a day or two,” 

Taeyong helped Ten get up from the couch and they walked the two humans to the front door. 

“Oh,” Yukhei gasped quietly. 

“What? What’s wrong?” 

“We, uh… We didn’t drive here. Our cars aren’t here. Jungwoo can carry me, but…” 

“I’ll come with,” Taeyong understood, “Just to bring Ten home. I’ll need to be back here with Johnny,” 

Ten rested easily in Taeyong’s arms while Yukhei climbed onto Jungwoo’s back, just like they had earlier. Yukhei gave them the address and they were off, the sky above them slowly turning from a deep purple to a dark orange. 

“I’m gonna go to bed, you guys,” Ten locked himself in his room after Taeyong left. It was barely six in the morning. 

“I… I should shower,” Yukhei said awkwardly, “Uh, here’s my room, make yourself at home,” he then disappeared around the corner. Jungwoo heard the water turn on minutes later. 

Was it bad of him to say he’s grateful it wasn’t Yukhei? It made him feel guilty but it didn’t make him stop thinking about it. He knew if he were in Doyoung’s situation, he wouldn’t have it in him to turn Jaehyun. Not like that. 

Jungwoo felt the burn of the hot water on his back. He _needed_ to talk with Yukhei. He needed him to know what they were. He had his suspicions that the boy already knew, but this was for Jungwoo’s conscience. 

He didn’t have a choice when he was turned. That sick bastard and his wife just wanted someone, a _pet_ , and they happened to choose him. He didn’t wish this hell on anyone, let alone someone he liked. 

Yukhei came out of the bathroom a minute later, towel wrapped around his waist and another over his shoulders while he scrubbed his hair dry. Any other time Jungwoo would have been drooling at the sight of the droplets of water cascading down his abs, but this was not the time. He didn’t have it in him. 

Yukhei quickly dried off and pulled on a pair of boxers before coming to sit next to Jungwoo on the bed. 

“What’s going on in that head?” he asked softly. 

Where could he even start? Instead he just sighed and said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been so close to an attack,” 

Yukhei nodded. “But you’ve got confidence he’s gonna come out ok, right?” 

“Yeah, of course,” he answered absentmindedly. 

“Then I’m not worried. I mean I am, but the same way that you’ve got a friend in the hospital overnight. They’re gonna be ok.” Yukhei slung a warm arm over his shoulders and Jungwoo tipped gratefully into his side. “Unless there’s something else?” 

Damn him for being able to see straight through him. 

“I’m worried about you,” 

“Me? Why? Because we’re connected?” 

Jungwoo sat up straight and held Yukhei far enough away that he could look in his eyes, searching for what his reaction was. 

“How much do you know?” 

This seemed to be something the former Hunter didn’t know too much about. He shrugged, “Vamps have mates, and that seems to be more than the connection between Sire and Childe,” 

“There’s something called a Soul Bond. You… You feel me and I feel you because our souls are connected. And since our souls are connected, if something happens to me, it happens to you as well,” 

Yukhei picked up very quickly and Jungwoo felt his anxiety lurch in his own stomach. “So if you get stabbed,” 

“You’ll feel it too. And if you get attacked and die…” 

“So will you,” he gasped, “Fuck. Can you have more than one? Are you connected to others?” 

“I am. My two Children. But they’re a different connection,” 

Yukhei stilled for a second. “They’re not like you and me,” 

“Right,” 

They sat in silence. It was a lot to take in. 

Before Yukhei could ask the burning question on his mind, Jungwoo answered it for him. “I don’t have to turn you! Don’t worry about that whatsoever. And just because we’re Bonded doesn’t mean you have to be with me, romantically or otherwise, I swear,” 

Yukhei laughed nervously, a tic Jungwoo was picking up on. “But, uh, we, erm,” he swallowed hard and a lop-sided smile fell on his face, “We have that — that ice cream date? That’s not gonna get thrown to the side?” 

Jungwoo let Yukhei lean into his arms when he offered a hug. “Of course not. That’s gonna happen whether you like it or not,” 

He laughed happily this time, shuffling away to lay on the bed. Jungwoo got up to go to the couch and let him sleep, but Yukhei held onto his arm. “Uh, stay? Please? I don’t think I can…” 

Jungwoo smiled gently and settled in the space he left for him on the bed. “I don’t think I can either. Goodnight, Yukhei,” 

“‘Night, Jungwoo,” 

They woke up that afternoon to Ten trashing the kitchen. 

“Whoa, Ten! What’s wrong?” Yukhei rushed up to him and kept him from throwing his phone at the wall. 

“What’s wrong? What’s _wrong_?” he roared. 

“Ok, that was a stupid question —” Yukhei began. 

“Jaehyun got _attacked_ ten hours ago and we haven’t heard from anyone since? As much as I love Taeyong, they’re all strangers! We have _no_ idea what’s happening!” 

Yukhei had to actually take his phone away this time. 

Jungwoo stepped up cautiously, “Do you want me to get someone to check in for you?” 

Ten rolled his eyes with his entire body and placed a hand on his hip in preparation to say something snarky, “What, are you gonna text someone?” 

“Or I could get one of my Children to send a message to me,” 

“Children? … How?” 

Yukhei stepped up and gently whispered, “Vampires have a mental connection to the vamps they turn,” 

Ten blinked for a second, then apparently just to make it look like that _didn’t_ solve all his problems, he scoffed and went, “Sure, I guess,” and stormed off to the couch. Yukhei gave him an apologetic smile and followed him. 

_Sicheng?_ He called gently over their Blood Link. He would ask Donghyuck, but he had a feeling he was busy with Mark. Jungwoo rolled _his_ eyes about that. 

A hum of recognition came back through the Link. Sicheng had never truly mastered the telepathic speech that came with the Blood Link, but he was only 70 after all. He’d have time. As it was right now he couldn’t quite answer with speech, but he was very good at sending emotions and images. 

_Hun, is Jaehyun doing ok?_

Sicheng sent back a small buzz of confusion before a wave of reassurance. He likely didn’t know the new vampire who joined them last night, but that reassurance told Jungwoo the boy was doing alright. 

_Are they sleeping now?_

He sent back the image of a closed door in the Nursery, presumably Jaehyun’s door, and then an image of Doyoung exhaustedly leaning against the counter, face in the palm of his hand. Yuta stood nearby. 

_Thank you!_

Sicheng smiled back and returned to whatever he was doing. Jungwoo went to join Yukhei and Ten in the living room. 

“Jaehyun’s doing just fine,” he interpreted for them, “He’s fast asleep. In my experience, he’ll be out for another two days or so,” 

Ten heaved a sigh and collapsed against the back of the couch. Yukhei visibly relaxed too. 

They ended up ordering food. Something Thai, Ten and Yukhei ate like they were starved, but Jungwoo just snacked on a few of their sides, occasionally pulling a strip of beef from Yukhei’s dish. He had met with Kun not even two days ago and had a top-off, not to mention a blood pack before they headed to Ten’s on Friday night. 

After chatting for a few hours into the night, Ten wandered back to his room, leaving Jungwoo and Yukhei together on the couch. 

“How long before we can see him?”

“Should just be a few days. He’s Second Gen,” 

Yukhei’s eyes went wide, “What? Oh my god, does that mean —” 

“That Doyoung’s a Borne? Yes, it does,” 

Yukhei immediately launched into a spiel, “I’ve only gotten the chance to meet a Borne once. That means he’s, what, a thousand?” 

Jungwoo let Yukhei lean on him while they talked. His mate was a very physical person — or, no, not his mate yet. Dammit Jungwoo, you can’t claim him yet! 

“Tell him that’s what you think he is, he’d be flattered to look that young,” he covered quickly, “And you do know Johnny’s a Borne too, right?” 

“No way,” he said in awe, “What about you?” 

“I haven’t actually told anyone,” he smirked. 

“What? Aren’t they your coven?” 

“Well, no. But yes, but no. They’re not my blood coven, but we’ve been with them for like ten years? Maybe more? I just haven’t done the paperwork.” 

Yukhei gave him a shove, “I thought you were supposed to get more responsible with age,” 

“Just because I’m an Elder doesn’t mean I’m old!” 

“You’re an Elder too? Full of surprises,” 

Jungwoo shrugged, “Eh, it’s not all you’d think. I have to go to Council meetings. They’re so boring, being surrounded by old people all night,” 

“But you have to be old to be on the Council, I thought?” Yukhei stood and Jungwoo followed as they meandered back to his bedroom. 

“Yes, you’re smart, aren’t you?” he cooed, not missing how Yukhei shivered at the praise, “I’m probably around 900,” 

“Jeez,” Yukhei poked him as he settled on the bed, smoothing out a spot for Jungwoo to lay down as well, “More like a mummy than a vampire,” 

“You watch your tongue,” he poked Yukhei back. 

Naturally, this led to a poking war, which devolved into a tickle fight, which led to Jungwoo straddling Yukhei’s lap, pinning his arms above his head on the bed. 

Yukhei stayed where he was, panting ever so slightly. He looked utterly delicious, face turning a light red as the blood rushed to his face. His heartbeat kicked up once he realized the position he was in and his pupils blew open. Jungwoo felt a now-familiar tightness clinch below his waist, though this distinctly came from Yukhei. 

“Are you alright?” he teased. 

“Of — of course,” he gulped mid-sentence. Jungwoo didn’t miss how his gaze flicked back and forth between his eyes and his lips. “Can I see them?” he blurted then immediately bit his lip, apparently not trying to say that out loud. 

He raised an eyebrow. “My fangs? Little hunter, you should know better,” 

Yukhei turned even more red. 

Obligingly, he opened his mouth and licked over the front of his teeth, encouraging his fangs to slide out. Not that they needed much encouraging with how delectable he smelled under him, arousal and a healthy amount of fear mixing into his scent. His fangs slid past his teeth slowly, almost as if they wanted to give him a show, slim and ivory, little more than needlepoints at the end. He took great pride in them. They came to settle over the top of his bottom lip, nearly scratching the skin below. 

Yukhei’s heart rate kicked up again. 

“You can tell me to stop at any time, I swear I won’t mind,” he murmured as he leaned lower. 

“‘Kay,” was all he could gasp back. 

Jungwoo had no plans to do much to him, he swore. They were going to take it slow. But the way they were dancing in the club last night, he could tease a little. 

“Look at you,” he murmured, breath fanning across Yukhei’s face, “You know how dangerous I am, and yet… You’re here under me,” 

He whined and squirmed. Jungwoo caught his grin of accomplishment when that wiggle allowed him to grind his dick along Jungwoo’s ass. 

“Felt you last night,” he groaned when Jungwoo gave him a questioning look. 

“And now it’s my turn? Gladly, love,” he leaned down the last inch and gently pecked Yukhei’s cheek, letting him feel his fangs cold against the skin. Yukhei whined and turned his head ever so slightly, eyes not leaving his lips. 

“You want a kiss?” Jungwoo pulled back, “You have to use your words,” he pressed a little more against Yukhei’s wrists, careful not to bruise and careful to let go the second he didn’t want this anymore. 

Yukhei struggled for a moment then whined like a dog once more, “Please?” 

“Please what, baby?” 

He shivered at the pet name. “Please kiss me, Jungwoo?” 

“Good boy,” he purred, pulling his fangs back in and kissing the human hard. Yukhei melted under his touch, releasing any tension in his arms from even pretending to struggle. He arched, grinding his cock into Jungwoo’s ass once more, and pressed upwards to try and deepen the kiss. 

Jungwoo pulled back. “Yukhei, whatever happened to going slow?” 

“Don’t wanna,” now he struggled to get Jungwoo to let go of him, “Fuck going slow,” 

Jungwoo did let go of him but he also sat up, not letting Yukhei have a single moment. “Now now, we should talk about that, baby,” 

Yukhei grabbed Jungwoo’s waist and gently ground against him even more. “I changed my mind from earlier,” he explained, “Going slow means I don’t get this right now,” 

“Are you sure?” he certainly wasn’t going to say no, but he wanted Yukhei to be absolutely sure. It would be more intense than any other fuck he’d had, to say the least, because of their Bond. “What are you comfortable with?” 

Yukhei thankfully did stop to take a breath and think things through. “I think just hands today, if that’s alright?” he added to the end as if it would offend Jungwoo. 

“Of course, baby boy. What else?” 

“What do you mean what else?” 

He looked at him fondly, remembering he was a baby gay who thought being bisexual was ‘bye’ and had never been with a man before. “Are you ok with kissing more? You’ve never done this before, right? Do you want to keep our clothes on? —” 

“Mm, fuck no,” 

“Words, Yukhei,” 

“Clothes off please. And kissing, please!” he stuttered out. 

Jungwoo rewarded him with a kiss that Yukhei surged upwards to meet. This precious boy was straining to reach him and to be honest, Jungwoo hadn’t had someone so excited to be with him in a long time. 

“You’re so eager, baby,” he groaned into Yukhei’s mouth. 

“Yeah, I’ve got you on me,” he answered. Jungwoo rolled his hips, drawing another moan from his lips.

He slipped a hand up his shirt and rubbed against the washer board abs that lay hidden underneath. Moving off of his lips, he traced a line down his jaw with his tongue. More than willingly, Yukhei tilted his head the other way, letting him have better access to his neck. 

“Look at you, practically inviting me,” 

A nervous laugh bubbled out of his throat again but he closed his eyes anyway, trusting him. Jungwoo moved his palm up and down his chest, feeling the warmth of the human under him, and began to take one of the boy’s nipples between his fingers. 

“Ah, wha —” Yukhei gasped in shock, “Uh, no? No thanks?”

Jungwoo immediately moved his hand, “No problem. Thank you,” he kissed just behind his ear and kept his hands wandering up and down his sides instead. Yukhei relaxed back into his touch. 

“Can I — you?” 

Jungwoo chuckled and nodded, thinking Yukhei was going to slip his own hands under his shirt. Instead, Yukhei took Jungwoo’s shirt completely off and threw it to the side before openly gawking at Jungwoo’s body. 

“Can I?” he asked in kind. 

Yukhei didn’t answer him, instead sitting up and ripping his shirt off himself. Rid of at least one layer of clothes, Yukhei wrapped an arm around Jungwoo’s back and pulled him in for another kiss. This one ended up less as a kiss and more as their open mouths panting against each other as they rocked in sync. 

“Do you want to keep your pants on, little hunter? Or are you going to hump like a teenager and come in your pants before I even touch you?” 

Yukhei growled under his breath and moved down Jungwoo’s neck instead, leaving a none-too-gentle trail of bite marks in his wake. Once again, Jungwoo was left winded, feeling the possessive nature behind his teeth. Yukhei gently pushed Jungwoo off for a moment and shoved his pants and boxers down to his ankles, haphazardly kicking them off. Jungwoo did the same with a little more grace before returning right back to Yukhei’s waiting lap. This time, he sat lower on his thighs, allowing their cocks to align. 

The human stopped for a moment, breathing heavily and staring at their dicks, nearly touching. 

“Are you still ok with this?” Jungwoo asked gently. 

“Yeah,” he whispered, “You just… You’re pretty,” 

Once again, it seemed like his mouth ran ahead of his thoughts because he got embarrassed once more and turned his head to the side to hide the flush. 

Jungwoo placed a finger under his chin and gently turned him back. “I think you’re gorgeous,” 

He gave an experimental press of his hips and drew a deep groan from Yukhei, who stuttered his hips up into him as they went. 

“Do you have lube, sweet boy? Lotion?” Jungwoo nipped and licked down his neck to his chest, mouthing at the muscles of his pecs. Yukhei blindly reached out an arm for his bedside table and scrambled in the drawer for a moment before retrieving a small bottle. Jungwoo looked at it before he opened it, thankfully. 

“This is hand sanitizer, baby,” 

“Sorry!” he grabbed it back and grabbed another bottle from the drawer, “Preschool teacher,” 

Jungwoo laughed as he took the correct bottle this time. He took a moment to look at his precious human while he warmed the lube up between his fingers. 

The hunter looked _hungry_. Sweat collected along the ridges of his muscles and Jungwoo wanted nothing more than to lick it all up, but he would go at Yukhei’s pace. That could be saved for another time. 

“Can I —” he began. 

“ _Please_ touch me,” Yukhei interrupted. 

Slowly, Jungwoo wrapped his hand around Yukhei’s cock, listening to him moan, imagining how it would feel down his throat. After a few strokes, he poured more lube into his hand and slicked himself. 

Taking them both into his hand, Jungwoo began to slowly pump but didn’t get the chance to for long before Yukhei thrust up into his hand. 

“Relax, baby boy, I’ll take care of you. Slow down, we have time,” he promised as he licked his way into his mouth again. He whined but nodded exuberantly against him. 

Yukhei clawed at his back as Jungwoo pumped his fist around the both of them, soaking in the warmth of the human lying beneath him. It always surprised Jungwoo when he had sex with humans again how _warm_ they were. However, if Yukhei had any discomfort about his cool skin, he didn’t show it. 

Yukhei gasped and trembled under his touch. Through their Bond, Jungwoo could feel that he was getting close, but it didn’t take the Bond to tell that. 

“Ah, Jungwoo, I — I think,” 

“Are you getting close, baby? Are you going to cum for me?” they rocked in rhythm, “Are you going to be a good boy?” 

“Yes! ‘ngwoo, please!” 

He leaned down to Yukhei’s ear, letting him scrape up his back to hold him closer, and let his fangs slide out once more. The fangs traced along the shell of his ear as he whispered one command: “ _Cum_ ,” 

The human, _his_ human, shuddered underneath him and held him even closer, whining high in his throat as he pressed his face into Jungwoo’s neck. His dull nails scored lines up Jungwoo’s back. 

No matter how hot it was, that short of a handjob wasn’t normally enough to get Jungwoo off on its own, but the feedback from the Bond was _ecstasy_. He felt each and every one of Yukhei’s nerves fry as he came and the pure bliss that came from it. Above that all, though, he felt the immense amount of trust that came with it. Trust, Jungwoo realized, in him for being Yukhei’s first. 

That pushed him over the edge more than anything. He couldn’t remember the last time there was an _emotional_ connection in his sex life. He would never trade it for anything. 

He stroked their cocks together for a moment too long, now wet with their cum, and Yukhei started to whine at the overstimulation. 

“‘Woo, Jungwoo, please,” 

He pulled his hand away and wiped it on Yukhei’s chest, watching the white wash over the tan of his skin. _You’re mine_ , he growled to himself. No one would touch his mate again. _No one but him._

“My lovely boy, you did so good,” he praised instead of voicing his thoughts, rolling off of his lap. Dimly, he thought he could feel Yukhei’s mind nuzzle up against him, repeating the possessive feelings Jungwoo had. No words, but just a question of “ _Yours?”_ But they had no clue how much humans could connect through the Bond. For now, Jungwoo was content to pretend he had imagined it. 

Back to their physical selves, he knew by now Yukhei was a very touchy person and Jungwoo never said no to some cuddling. He laid down and held out his arms, inviting Yukhei in, when he noticed his face. 

His bottom lip wobbled and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. 

“Yukhei, baby, what’s wrong? Come here,” 

“I don’t, I don’t know,” he hiccuped, crawling into Jungwoo’s arms. He held him tight and rubbed his back, letting Jungwoo hold him close. 

“It’s alright, I’m so sorry, baby. I’m here, it’s ok,” 

“No, don’t be sorry!” he insisted and pulled back to wipe at his eyes, “‘M being stupid,” 

Jungwoo gently took his human’s chin and turned his face back to him. “No, you’re not, I promise you’re not. Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked, praying he hadn’t fucked up. He should have checked in more. He should have held himself to a higher standard and made them wait. 

“It was a lot. Different than others,” he mumbled, pulling back into the hug to say it against his chest, “ _Felt_ you,”

 _Oh_. The Bond overwhelmed him. “Oh, my precious boy,” he tucked Yukhei’s head into the nook between his neck and shoulder, “That was the Bond. You felt all I was feeling, didn’t you? I felt everything through you too,” 

“Yeah?” he sniffled. Jungwoo felt the anxiety melt away the more they cuddled and that let him breathe easy. 

“I’m sorry, baby, I should have gone over it more with you first. Remember how we said if you got hurt, I’d feel it? And the other way around?” he asked and Yukhei nodded, no longer shaking with gentle sobs. “It does that with emotions too. Feelings,” 

“That makes sense,” his voice came nearly from Jungwoo’s armpit, “Was like I came twice at once. ‘S a lot,” 

“Oh, honey, it’s alright. I’m so sorry I made you cry,” 

“No, don’t be. But also,” he took one last deep breath and pulled his head out of his little Jungwoo-cave, “I’ve never… Typically I’m you,”

“Hmm?” 

He stared resolutely at Jungwoo’s chest, “I’ve always been the one in charge,” 

“Oh, baby,” he pulled him back as the realization dawned on him, “You’ve never been the submissive one before?” 

Yukhei shook his head and wrapped his arms around Jungwoo tight. “Girls, yknow? I’m big and a lot of times they’re not,”

He nodded distantly. Again, he didn’t ever choose to sleep with women, so he didn’t quite understand, but he got the point. Yukhei is big and charming and handsome, who wouldn’t want to be fucked by him?

“Did you like it?” he asked hesitantly. 

He nodded this time and pulled back to look at him once more. “But it’s a little scary. Are… are you going to stay?” 

Jungwoo stared into his large puppy-dog eyes and absolutely melted. How did a man this big look so small next to him? 

“Of course, baby boy. I’m not going anywhere,” 

——— 

The next day came and went in a blur. Yukhei and Ten left at different times to run errands — they needed more groceries, Ten had a package to deliver, Yukhei needed to get gas — so Jungwoo just stayed in bed. It was nice to have a day off of total peace and quiet after ten years of living in the house with three Children under 100. 

He didn’t sleep through the day. Instead, he texted the Coven every so often, getting updates on what was happening (Donghyuck insisted Sicheng and Yuta were tattling instead of just chatting, but he didn’t give that a response). Jaehyun was awake and had snapped out of his bloodlust fairly quickly, but he had expected as much. He had high hopes for the boy. 

Speaking of high hopes, Yukhei was far exceeding his expectations of what to expect being Bonded to a human. They had quickly mastered sending emotions back and forth, Jungwoo had gotten Yukhei to understand a few words being sent at a time, and Yukhei was now able to send images. All within a day! It was astounding and adorable that whenever Jungwoo came back into Yukhei’s mind, he was able to send a little bubble of happiness and get one back. He was beyond proud of his boy and didn’t bother hiding it. 

Near the end of the day (or beginning of the day for vampires), Ten and Yukhei came back to the apartment. The winter sun had set already, but it was too early in the night for them to go to sleep. He had planted himself on the couch, casually flicking through their Netflix account. He had one of course, well he used Johnny’s, but it was fun to see what the two humans enjoyed. Ten got home first and chatted with Jungwoo while they waited for Yukhei, giving a running commentary on whatever episode of _Next Top Model_ was on. 

“Xuxi,” Ten called from the living room when the front door opened, “I talked to Jaehyun,” 

“You did?” he dropped everything and kicked off his shoes as he thumped down the hall. 

“He’s fine, but I swear to god I’m gonna pummel Do-shitbag’s face in when I see him,” 

“What?” Jungwoo snorted, greeting Yukhei with a kiss and sitting on the couch next to him. 

“I didn’t hear from him for two days! Then Do-FuckFace calls me — I didn’t have his number, by the way! This was an unknown number — and says ‘Jaehyun is alright’ and hangs up! I’m gonna beat him with his own balls!” 

He snorted. Yuta’s gonna _love_ him. 

“Does that mean we can see him soon?” Yukhei asked hopefully. 

Jungwoo swallowed. Not that he didn’t have complete confidence in his coven’s ability to handle a newborn, but the difference in their friend between him as a human and him as a vampire would be stark. 

“Yes,” he said carefully, “But he’s not going to be the same,” 

“Will he still be Jaehyun?” Ten glared him down. 

“Yes,” 

Ten nodded, “Then that’s all that matters.” 

“He won’t attack us,” Yukhei said with utmost authority, “We’re family,” 

“That’s true,” Jungwoo chose his words carefully, “But he’s gonna _look_ different. He’s a predator. He isn’t human anymore,” 

Ten rolled his eyes, “Yeah, and so are you, so is Taeyong, so is Johnny. And?” 

Jungwoo really admired their dedication to their friend. He knew his fair share of humans who dropped family after they were turned because of the “ _monster”_ they turned into. He remembered going with Donghyuck to his family after a few months. How they kicked him out, threw things at him. He was glad Jaehyun wouldn’t have to go through that as well. 

Ten stood and went to grab a drink, “So when are you taking us there?” 

“Hmm?” 

“They’re _your_ coven,” 

Jungwoo bit his lip. “I mean, yeah, kinda.” 

“Kinda?”

Yukhei answered for him, “He hasn’t done the paperwork,” 

Ten scoffed and went back to his cocktail, wordlessly asking if either of them wanted one. Jungwoo turned him down; he needed more blood soon and alcohol would only dilute what he still had in his system. To his surprise, Yukhei said no as well. He was plotting something, but he didn’t get the feeling that it was anything nefarious, so Jungwoo let him plot for the time being. 

“Of course you haven’t,” 

“Tomorrow night? That gives them time to get a Donor in,” 

“Good,” Ten hummed, “I wanna see them again,” 

“‘Them?’” Yukhei raised a teasing eyebrow. 

“Jae of course. And Johnny. And Taeyong,”

Clear surprise rippled across from Yukhei. Jungwoo raised an eyebrow at him in question, but he just subtly waved him off, mouthing ‘ _later_.’ 

They settled in again, watching the next episode of _Next Top Model_. Jungwoo found himself losing interest much more quickly now that Yukhei sat next to him. Warmth radiated from the thigh pressed against his, the gentle thrum of his heartbeat echoing in his ears. 

Jungwoo did everything he could to sit still, but Yukhei _smelled so good._ Honey and cinnamon and _blood_ was becoming more and more distracting. Fuck, he really was hungry, wasn’t he? That or weak for Yukhei. 

The episode continued and the two humans got bored as well. They eventually turned to asking him about vampire politics or culture, and Jungwoo did the best he could with the bakery-sweet scent coming from his Bond. 

“I mean, I guess Johnny and Doyoung are the dads. More like Doyoung and Taeyong, if anything, but Johnny handles a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff for us.” 

It didn’t grow too much later, but Yukhei was excited for whatever he had been planning. 

He overly-fake yawned and stood. “I’m beat, I think I’ll go to bed,” 

Ten laughed, “You know, if you want to go fuck you can just say so. It’s not like I won’t hear anyway, but I don’t care. Besides, I want to watch a horror movie, I know you hate them,” 

Yukhei flushed bright red. Jungwoo licked his lips. Was this what he had been planning?

It was a struggle to get to Yukhei’s bedroom without incident. He had last eaten Friday night, and now it was Sunday? That’s a while to go without even a blood pack to tide him over. He could feel excitement and nervousness come across from his mate — _no, not mate yet!_ — so Jungwoo swallowed those urges down. He had gone longer without eating. He’d be fine. 

Jungwoo certainly did not expect Yukhei to kiss him the second the door closed. He moaned into the kiss, willing his fangs to stay put. 

“Jungwoo,” Yukhei moaned as well. He took a deep breath as he pulled back from the kiss far too soon and stared him in the eyes. “Bite me,” 

Jungwoo’s knees buckled. “What?” he asked in the softest voice he thinks he’s ever used. 

“You’re hungry,” 

“Baby, I can control myself,” he insisted. 

Yukhei’s eyes held a thirst that nearly rivaled his own. “I want you to. I did some research,” 

“Oh did you now?” He made a fist in Yukhei’s shirt as the human licked up his jawline and down his neck. 

“I did. And we’re Bonds. But you feel more,”

Did he know that Jungwoo’s body had picked him as his Mate? 

“I think I feel it too,” 

“Ok, no, stop, wait,” Jungwoo grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back at arms length, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, babe,” 

Yukhei’s eyes held nothing but trust. His voice didn’t waver. “I do. I told you, I did research,” 

He smelled _so good_. “What did you research?” he asked carefully. This could be about anything. It could be about the high that comes with his venom. It could be about the Bond. It could be about the old healing properties of fairy-tale vampires, for fuck’s sake. Don’t get your hopes up, Jungwoo. 

“Mates,” 

His heart dropped through the floor. Did he…? 

“There’s more to us than the Bond, isn’t there?” 

“Not if you don’t want there to be,” he forced himself to whisper. It would absolutely wreck him if Yukhei didn’t feel the same, if Yukhei didn’t want to be one with him, but he would take that pain a thousand times over than force him into something he didn’t want. 

“What if… What if I do?” 

Jungwoo was going to collapse, he swore he’d fall right here. “There’s, uh, there’s a lot involved,” 

Yukhei’s brain seemed to finally catch up with his mouth. His heart rate picked up even more and he took a shaky breath. He took Jungwoo’s hand and guided him back to the bed. “I know we’d have to, erm, drink each other’s, uh, each other’s blood,” 

Jungwoo nearly bit through his own lip at the thought. “But do you know what that would do? We’d become one. Being Mates isn’t a Bond, being Mates is sharing a body. Sharing a mind,” 

“So more than this now?” 

“ _So_ much more than this,” he tore his gaze away, “Like, um, you know how best friends sometimes say things at the same time on accident? We’d be that, but if we had a thought we wouldn’t know which mouth it would come out of,” 

Yukhei took a deep breath as well. “Alright,” 

“‘Alright?’” his gaze snapped back to his human, “You know all that and you still want to? You’d give up your human life too!” 

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Yukhei smiled in what he tried to make a reassuring way, but it betrayed his nervousness as well. 

“I can’t do that to you,” 

Yukhei grabbed his hand and stared him in the eye. He pushed wave after wave of _want_ through their Bond. “I want you to,” 

Jungwoo had a choice. He could insist that Yukhei had no idea if he wanted it or not; the human had no concept of what Mating contained. He could tell him he’s just a stupid child, the boy was barely in his 20s! He could push him away to keep his humanity, keep him pure and pristine. 

But at the same time, they were Bonded. They were already linked more than most vampires out there. Yukhei was already so far past what a typical human would ever experience anyway. Mating wouldn’t change the fact that if one died, the other would too. Mating wouldn’t make Yukhei immortal, it wouldn’t keep him from being a fragile human. Only Turning him could do that, and Jungwoo flat out refused. 

“Jungwoo. I know what I’m getting into,” he squeezed his hand, “I know better than most what this means,” 

“You’re sure?” 

_Please say yes._

“I am,” Yukhei answered, bringing him in for a kiss. Jungwoo knew he was being honest. He could feel Yukhei’s body sing the closer they got together, could feel the human’s soul try to snuggle up next to him as much as he could. His soul did the same, to be honest, but it was much easier to deny _his_ wants than to deny _his mate’s_. 

_“Mine,”_ he growled into the kiss. 

“Mine,” Yukhei smiled into it back. 

To his surprise and delight, Yukhei took control of this kiss, holding onto Jungwoo’s shoulders and pressing him back against the bed. He let him, of course. He could let the little Hunter have this moment. He knew his smugness was detectable through their Bond, but Yukhei was thankfully too busy to notice. 

“Do you know the process?” he asked, voice soft and small. 

Yukhei hummed, pawing his biceps. “Vaguely. You bite me, drink my blood, I bite you, drink your blood,” 

“How do you plan on biting me, Little Hunter?” 

Yukhei stopped dead in his tracks. “I didn’t think that far ahead,” 

Jungwoo laughed, light and amused, but let him keep going. “What about where you want to bite me? This is a permanent scar,” 

“Don’t tell me you know where you’d bite me?” 

“I knew the moment we met,” 

Yukhei choked on his own spit. Jungwoo gazed up at him, at his gorgeous, strong human, and waited for him to react. 

“Have you, uh, done this before?” 

He almost laughed. “No. It’s not something you do lightly. You can only Mate once,” 

“Fuck,” Yukhei pulled back frantically, “I’m sorry, I — you don’t have to! Shit, I’m not gonna take that from you,” 

“No, my precious boy, no,” Jungwoo sat up and took his face in hand. He knew his face was turning into a pout but he didn’t do anything to stop it. “My soul has already chosen you. We’re already True Bonds, lovely. You can’t pick your Bonds, but you can choose your Mate. I’ve chosen you, and I’d choose you a thousand times over,” 

Yukhei stared at him with wet, glassy eyes, “Even though I’m human? Even though I’ve never…” he couldn’t finish the sentence. 

“I want everything you could give me,” 

Yukhei leaned into his hand and closed his eyes. “I want you too,” 

They kissed again, slow and sweet. Through their Bond, they could both feel how genuinely the other wanted this, how _badly_ they wanted this. This was the most distant they would ever be again. 

“My precious boy,” Jungwoo pulled back even though he didn’t want to, “You should go first. I’m worried if I do, you won’t be able to,” 

“Why not?” he asked, the start of a challenge in his eyes. 

He laughed under his breath, “Because remember yesterday? Like that, but more,” 

“Oh,” Yukhei blushed. 

Jungwoo wanted to. He wanted to bite Yukhei more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life, but they would become mates as soon as blood touched the second’s lips. Jungwoo would rather take that upon himself to be certain the Mating took place. He didn’t want to risk a single thing, and he wanted his darling human to enjoy every moment. 

“Can I, uh,” Yukhei swallowed hard, “Can I like, cut you and have that count as the bite? I don’t exactly have fangs,” 

Jungwoo shook his head sadly. “I don’t think so. I haven’t heard of a human and a vampire mating, but it has to be two bites. Just drinking vampire blood doesn’t do much other than an adrenaline rush to humans, I think,” 

“Oh,” 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a much higher pain tolerance than you’d think,” he reassured him. Internally he grimaced because he knew how useless human teeth were, but short of Turning him, there wasn’t another option. “Where do you want your mark on me to be?” 

Yukhei immediately lost the concern in his face as he gazed up and down Jungwoo’s body, drinking him in. “Where do you think?” 

“Anywhere you can get a mouthful,” he pet Yukhei’s hair again, urging him to not worry. Yukhei’s large, warm hands trailed up and down his sides, just barely playing under the hem of his shirt (which was, coincidentally, Yukhei’s). 

He pushed the bottom of the shirt up and traced over Jungwoo’s stomach and chest. He didn’t have the same physique Yukhei did, but he was happy with his body, cute layer of fat keeping his stomach warm. Yukhei looked at him like he was art. It made his heart flutter, even without a heartbeat. 

“Here,” he traced over the patch above his left hip bone. Just at the part where the bone juts out of the skin, almost at his side. 

Jungwoo sighed in approval, already imagining the mark, “Beautiful,” 

“Do I need to…?” 

“Just bite,” he directed, torn between palming himself or reaching out for Yukhei’s hair again. 

Yukhei leaned down and kissed the skin, licking it once or twice reverently. He looked back up with big puppy eyes, asking one last time if this was what he wanted. Jungwoo nodded. 

“It’ll hurt,” he warned Yukhei, “You’ll feel it too. Keep going. You’ll feel better when I bite you, I promise,” 

Yukhei laughed nervously, “What I wouldn’t give for some of your venom right now,” 

He kissed the spot again. Almost like he was going to make a hickey, the human attached his lips to a wide area of his stomach and worried over the spot between his teeth. 

“You need blood, gorgeous boy,” Jungwoo encouraged, “I know. I know, but it’ll be over soon,” 

Yukhei bit down harder but couldn’t break the skin. He pulled back, hissing, “Fuck,” 

Jungwoo offered one hand for the human to squeeze, and with the other he grabbed a fistful of hair and _yanked_. The human jumped. He jerked but didn’t move away, but he also didn’t break the skin. Fuck! 

“Try your canines?” he cooed. While pretending to scratch more of his scalp to calm him down, Jungwoo spread his hand to cover a larger area. He didn’t want to rip out a chunk of hair. With his other hand, he gently pushed Yukhei’s hands off of himself, forcing him to clench his jaw instead of squeezing his sides. 

With one movement, Jungwoo gripped as much of Yukhei’s hair as he could and _pulled_. Yukhei jolted. He had moved a small section of skin to be between his canines, and that little startle did it. He yanked hard one last time to make the bite just a bit bigger, just to be sure enough of his blood got in his mate’s mouth, then let go. 

“Shit!” Yukhei swore, pulling up and wiping a drop of blood from the corner of his lips. Fuck if _that_ wasn’t hot. Fuck, he nearly forgot about how hungry he was. 

“I know, oh my baby boy, I’m sorry, are you alright?” he guided Yukhei to come snuggle under his shoulder and soothed his scalp. The scent of his blood — vampire blood — hit his nose and he suddenly wasn’t all that hungry anymore. Vampire blood wasn’t all that appetizing, especially however many days old the blood in his system was. 

“That hurt,” Yukhei pouted, looking to be babied.

“I know, I’m so sorry,” Jungwoo gladly indulged him. Thankfully, Yukhei wasn’t so mad as to refuse kisses and Jungwoo took as many as he could get, “It’ll feel better when I do it, I promise,” 

“It better. Ow,” he glared good-naturedly before taking it upon himself to deepen the kiss. When Jungwoo responded in kind then moved from his lips to his neck, Yukhei gasped out a question. “Where are you — ah, gonna bite me?” 

“You’ll see, baby,” he smirked, nipping over his collar bone. 

He didn’t even have to ask before Yukhei pulled his shirt up and over his head. It floated somewhere onto the floor; once it was off, Jungwoo didn’t care anymore. He kissed his way down even further, avoiding his nipples but happily traced his tongue along the lines of his pecs. Yukhei laughed, loud and embarrassed, but didn’t do anything to stop him. 

Very purposefully, Jungwoo looked up at Yukhei through his eyelashes as he slid further down. Yukhei took in a breath like he was about to combust. 

Score one for Jungwoo. 

He mapped the mountains and valleys of his abs, caressing and taking note of everything he could with his tongue. Yukhei melted underneath him, one hand shakingly raising to hold onto his shoulder before he changed his mind and gripped the sheets with both. 

Jungwoo nibbled at the button of his jeans and looked up through his lashes again, not even shy about what he wanted. Why would he be? Yukhei was everything he could have ever wanted. 

“I can —” Yukhei scrambled to undo the button of his jeans, but Jungwoo gently moved his hands back down to the mattress. 

“Can I?” 

He breathed out a quiet “Yeah,” and let Jungwoo do it himself. 

Jungwoo undid the jeans like he was unwrapping a delicate present: tenderly, he pulled down the zipper and kissed the sliver of skin between where the jeans covered and what was still hidden under his boxer briefs. Yukhei raised his hips without even being asked so Jungwoo would pull his jeans down and off and Jungwoo _purred_. 

“Oh, look at you, my gorgeous baby boy,” he nuzzled against the cock straining heavily against his underwear. 

Yukhei squirmed and bit his lips, turning them a bright red. Blood red. 

Jeans came off with a flourish and Jungwoo tucked into Yukhei’s thighs like it was Thanksgiving dinner. His hands kneaded the muscle of his legs, only taking a quick detour at his ass, and settled at his hips to hold him close. 

“Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly, kissing the tender skin of the human’s inner thigh. His hunger came back with a vengeance now that the thrum of life was under his lips. He licked the femoral artery, so close to the surface, and felt Yukhei tremble. 

“Yes,” he gasped, “Please,” 

Jungwoo drooled venom onto him. He let it pool on the flat expanse of toned muscle, holding Yukhei’s hips still as he shivered. 

“Ready?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he sunk his teeth into his flesh. 

The human screamed underneath him while Jungwoo took mouthfuls of blood. In an instant, he nearly pulled back from the taste. Yukhei wasn’t human. 

He didn’t pull off, though. Jungwoo had drank from other supernatural creatures before. But also the more he tasted, the more he placed what he tasted like. Yukhei had Vampyre blood in him. Not a lot, but enough. 

Honestly, that didn’t matter to Jungwoo. He wanted Yukhei however he was. 

As the screams turned to moans, he took a few more large mouthfuls before closing off the wound. He didn’t want to hurt his human. 

The blood sank into his system and Jungwoo began to feel his mind melt into Yukhei’s. For a moment, all he got was a wave of _want_ , but then the Mating took hold. 

_Jungwoo Jungwoo Jungwoo holy shit pain feels so good want him kiss listen to me? Kiss want it now oh god he can hear you can hear —_

Yukhei’s thoughts hit him like a freight train. He felt the sting of his own venom in Yuhkei’s thigh. In their thigh? He raised one of their hands to hold Yukhei’s face, not even blinking when one that was attached to Yukhei’s body raised instead. 

“I hear you,” Yukhei said through Jungwoo’s mouth. Or maybe Jungwoo said it himself. 

They needed to be closer together. Now. Yukhei hauled his body up to his body… no, wait. Yukhei’s body pulled Jungwoo’s body up… no. 

They made the effort together to control the body that had been between the other’s thighs. They wanted it up. It answered like a marionette on a string, jolting and stumbling, but they got it there eventually. 

_I can hear you I can year you too but I can feel you I know this is fucking amazing_

Jungwoo scrunched his eyebrows together (or maybe he scrunched Yukhei’s). He was beginning to feel a familiar floatiness, and not the good one that came with sex. It was the tempting, easy call to completely surrender, to let their minds merge completely, while it also sang the song telling them to let go. 

No. He needed to be the anchor. He’s done it before. He can do it now. 

He clutched his warm human body, his _mate (yours I’m Your Mate you’re Mine,),_ close to his cold vampire body and started sorting. His consciousness and Yukhei’s had been dumped like pudding on the floor. One was chocolate, one was vanilla, and there were two bowls they belonged in. Handful by handful, Jungwoo slopped a bit of Yukhei Pudding into the Yukhei Bowl. He then took a glop of Jungwoo Pudding and put it in the Jungwoo Bowl. 

This part of them was his shoulder. That part of them was Yukhei’s leg. That memory was Jungwoo’s, but this was one that he and Yukhei shared. (Those were the hardest to sort. It was the same event, but in their two different perspectives, two different filters over the same photo.) 

Slowly, they were delicately placed back into their own bowls. The problem with sorting pudding was that some of it mixed, but that was ok. They’d learn how to use the Mostly-Yukhei-With-A-Little-Jungwoo-Bowl and the Mostly-Jungwoo-With-A-Little-Yukhei-Bowls together. 

Jungwoo lifted his head. The head on the Jungwoo body looked up at the Yukhei head, but the Yukhei head looked up at the ceiling for a second before realizing. It turned down to look at him on its own a moment later. 

“I love you,” one of them said to the other. It didn’t matter who said it, because they both meant it. 

“Oh,” Yukhei gasped when Jungwoo moved his thigh (was that his thigh? Yes, it was, he decided.) Jungwoo’s thigh had found the space between Yukhei’s legs, pressing right up against his hard cock. Jungwoo suddenly realized just how hard he was, too. 

“My beautiful little hunter,” Jungwoo took full advantage of the fact that he was more cognizant than Yukhei was. He didn’t mind that Yukhei was still floating. Yukhei was a balloon and he held the string tight, happy to watch it bounce along in the wind. 

He rolled his hips and ground his thigh up against Yukhei’s thick cock. He’d love to get that in him sometime. They both gasped at the feeling of weight on their thighs but also pressure against their cocks. 

“Wanna — wann’ feel you,” Yukhei groaned, and Jungwoo knew exactly what he meant. 

In a flash, he stood (and reeled for a moment, but quickly regained his footing) and stripped. Before Yukhei could blink, he shoved the boxer briefs down and threw them as far away as he could. 

He pushed Yukhei’s thick thighs apart, skimming a finger against the angry red bite mark that was already healing. Yukhei shuddered at the feeling of lightning jolting up both of their Mate marks. Gently, Jungwoo aimed to press his dick against Yukhei’s, but it slipped and followed the cleft of his ass. Yukhei’s dick slid against the soft skin in the crook between Jungwoo’s thigh and stomach. 

They groaned in tandem. Yukhei rocked up into Jungwoo’s softness and Jungwoo rolled his hips to drag against his ass cheeks. Just dry humping at this point, neither of them lasted long with the new feedback between themselves. 

Jungwoo wanted Yukhei to come first, he really did. But he felt heat curl in one of their bases and felt the pressure everywhere they were touching, and suddenly one had completely let go and the other had no choice but to follow into their white-out bliss. 

Yukhei came to first minutes later. He gathered a handful of tissues and mopped them up, prodding Jungwoo awake. Neither of them wanted to move. They silently agreed they wouldn’t. Everything could wait until morning. 

_My darling, you are everything to me,_ Jungwoo told him, confident they would be able to master this new level of intimacy just as quickly as they had everything else. 

Yukhei growled back possessively, _You’re mine,_ finally feeling all the fire Jungwoo had been. 

They fell asleep.


End file.
